® X

Frame shop logo makeover 0707

Before&After BAmagazine.com i U X

Logo makeoverFrame shop

Newburyport Framers, a high-end custom framing business, needs a new logo. The best way to design it? Ground it in reality. Continued first of three pArts

Continued

® X

Frame shop logo makeover 0707

Before&After BAmagazine.com i U XFrame shop logo makeover 2 of 8

   2 of 8

frame shop logo makeoverTo create a new logo for a high-end custom-framing business, we turn abstract attributes into real images.

first of three pArts | Larry and Sherry Pearl own Newburyport Framers, a high-end custom framing business in the idyllic seaside town of Newburyport, Massachusetts. There, they pro-vide tailored design service to locals who are as passionate about art and framing as they are.

Newburyport Framers has the luxury of a descriptive name: in two words, it tells you where the business is located and what they do. What the name does not convey, however, is a true sense of the Newburyport Framers’ experience. Customers rave about the Pearls’ artistry, and about their outstanding service. The new logo should honor these abstract attributes. The way to do this, paradoxically, is not to think in the abstract but to ground the design in reality. Here’s how.

to boost their business and expand their reputation, New-buryport framers needs to blend the renown of a well-established chain with the personalized expe-rience of a local business. the design should convey their supe-rior craftsmanship while also anchoring their work within the environment it inhabits. (Above: Newbury-port harbor, Larry and sherry pearl)

® X

Frame shop logo makeover 0707

Before&After BAmagazine.com i U XFrame shop logo makeover 3 of 8

   3 of 8

Analyze the situationFirst, assess the client’s “world” and desires. From there, establish the goals of the design, then create a palette of words and images for inspiration.

the client’s world . . .

type of business: small custom framing store with a handful of employees; do custom framing, matting, and shadowbox construction

Audience: Current and prospective customers, employees, local galleries, other businesses

Assets: Resources to purchase typefaces, build a web site, and have material printed, including signage

Limitations: No on-staff graphic designer to main-tain and ensure overall adherence to the design plan

Design goals: Convey a sense of artistry, compe-tence, craftsmanship, desirability, an artistic, high-end vibe, and attract attention to the business

the direction: Newburyport Framers has the advantage of being local; it’s run by North Shore residents for North Shore residents. We’ll highlight the business’s personalized, local service by imbuing it with a sense of local identity.

® X

Frame shop logo makeover 0707

Before&After BAmagazine.com i U XFrame shop logo makeover 4 of 8

   4 of 8

evaluate the existing designAn existing design will often (but not always) yield clues about the client. In this case, the “before” highlights the initials “NF,” which came from Sherry’s love of typography.

Logo and colors Initials NF are set in Bembo, a classic typeface that evokes both art and literature. It’s a beautiful choice that’s then neutralized by two unfortunate additions: 1) Overlapped and shoehorned into a black box creates a sense of clutter and heaviness quite different from the light, airy atmosphere of the typeface and frame shop; note, above right, the many trapped, busy spaces that result from the overlap, none of which exists naturally in the typeface. Adding insult to injury, the N had to be stretched horizontally to make the monogram work.

Business card and logo before

Newburyport Framers

Custom Framing You will LOVE !

sherry@newburyportframers.com larry@newburyportframers.com

www.newburyportframers.com

3 Graf Rd Unit #3

Newburyport, Ma

978-462-0773

Sherry Pearl Larry Pearl

® X

Frame shop logo makeover 0707

Before&After BAmagazine.com i U XFrame shop logo makeover 5 of 8

   5 of 8

but unaligned with each other — making disconnected bits when what’s needed is a cohesive whole. It’s complex and unattractive.

type The designer also sought uniformity by setting the text in the same Bembo typeface as the monogram. But for the tagline (1), its formal roman style clashes with the casual exclamation, “Custom Framing You Will Love!” Setting the busy mix of sizes, colors, type weights, and cases not only requires unnecessary effort, it’s untrue to the old-style typeface. 2) Simple italic, designed for more-casual speech, makes the statement more clearly and is certainly easier to set!

2) Attention-getting red & black colors were pulled from the store’s outdoor sign (above, left) and carried through logo, web site, and business card in an attempt at uniformity. It was the right idea, but red & black is a masculine, high-energy combination opposite the soft neutrals of the gallery and the quiet gentility of the business-card typeface. Meanwhile, the designer lost sight of the many unrelated typefaces that were populating the design, and the different layout styles that were developing. Result: Newburyport Framers didn’t achieve a unified look.

Business card (above, right) is laid out with no appar-ent grid. Whether by design or accident, elements are aligned on four axes — one flush and three centered

Before: Colors from outdoor sign . . . to web site . . . to business card . . .

Custom Framing You will LOVE !

Custom framing you will love!

1

2

Newburyport Framers

Custom Framing You will LOVE !

sherry@newburyportframers.com larry@newburyportframers.com

www.newburyportframers.com

3 Graf Rd Unit #3

Newburyport, Ma

978-462-0773

Sherry Pearl Larry Pearl

® X

Frame shop logo makeover 0707

Before&After BAmagazine.com i U XFrame shop logo makeover 6 of 8

   6 of 8

history Settled by English trades-men in the 1630s, Newbury-port grew into a booming maritime trade center. Life always revolved around the Atlantic Ocean, and today both a sense of history and a sense of place are at the core of the town’s identity.

sailboat Seafaring is still important in Newburyport today, but people are now more likely to raise the sails for plea-sure rather than business. A sailboat’s silhouette (below) is an unmistakable blend of sharp, triangular shapes and subtle, graceful curves.

sand, shells, beach, fish, birds, water, driftwood In many ways, New-buryport’s seaside location shaped its destiny, so we can’t overlook the most basic things that distinguish this envi-ronment: a beach strewn with shells, each uniquely curved and worn from the tide; infinite grains of sand at once both smooth and granular; and vibrant bird and marine life, finely patterned with feathers and scales of all variations.

framed artwork Whether it’s a treasured family painting or a simple memento, all framed objects have one thing in common: they’re personal. What we frame is a statement about what we value.

establish the design goals and direction

The design goals and direction are a statement of what the logo is to embody, and how it will do that. This is not always clear at first, but in this case we know. First, of course, it must relate to framing and be “ownable,” meaning unique to Newburyport Framers. Two, the Pearls want their logo to convey a sense of locale, artistry, craftsmanship, desirability, and to pro ject a high-end vibe. That’s a good list.

Where to start the design? By familiarizing ourselves with the his-tory, ob jects, colors, and styles of Newbury-port — and framing:

® X

Frame shop logo makeover 0707

Before&After BAmagazine.com i U XFrame shop logo makeover 7 of 8

   7 of 8

Colors Black, gold, and woods like cherry and walnut are classic frame choices, while the clients recently repainted their shop interior (left) a sand color with undertones of gray. They also expressed a preference for soft grays and other pale tones, like the color of bleached driftwood (below, left).

BLACKSMITH

Architecture As the name sug-gests, New England bears many resemblances to Old England, partic-ularly in terms of architecture. New-buryport’s stately brick buildings and cobblestone streets make the down-town area feel suspended in time. In addition, the signs in the town’s

old port area are unique to each business, and recall ancient shop signs (anchors for blacksmiths,

bread for bakers, and so on). Their dynamic use of three-dimensional figures and creative, non-rectangular shapes indicate that they not only tell customers what the business does; they speak volumes about the character of the business itself.

frames (modern, vintage, corners) Frames come in nearly every design, color, shape, and size. Whether ornate or simplistic, bright primary colors or demure shades of brown, rectangular or oval, or big or small, the frame corner is any framing store’s most distinctive silhouette.

Coming in part 2 With creative brief and research in hand, next will come the fun of working out the design, from concept to sketch to final rendering.

typography Because Newburyport is such a storied town, we should look to the past for typographical inspira-tion. Here we’ve pulled examples from wood carvings, his-torical signs, manuscripts, and lithographs. Each typeface has serifs, is easy to read, and has stood the test of time.

® X

Frame shop logo makeover 0707

Before&After BAmagazine.com i U X

   8 of 8 | Printing formats

Frame shop logo makeover 8 of 8

Before & After magazine Before & After has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understand-able, useful and even fun for everyone.

John McWade Publisher and creative directorGaye McWade Associate publisherDexter Mark Abellera Senior designerKristine fuangtharnthip Writer, summer intern Before & After magazine323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678 Telephone 916-784-3884 Fax 916-784-3995E-mail mailbox@bamagazine.com www http://www.bamagazine.com

Copyright ©2014 Before & After magazine issN 1049-0035. All rights reserved

You may pass along a free copy of this article to others by clicking here. You may not alter this article, and you may not charge for it. You may quote brief sections for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and let us know. To link Before & After magazine to your Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com. For all other permissions, please contact us.

subscribe to Before & After

Subscribe to Before & After, and become a

more capable, confident designer for pennies

per article. To learn more, go to

http://www.bamagazine.com/Subscribe

e-mail this article

To pass along a free copy of this article to

others, click here.

Join our e-list

To be notified by e-mail of new articles as

they become available, go to

http://www.bamagazine.com/email

® XBefore&After BAmagazine.com i U X

   Back | Paper-saver format

for paper-saver format Print: (Specify pages 10–13)

for presentation format Print: (Specify pages 1–8)

print Format: Landscape

Page Size: Fit to Page

savePresentation format or

Paper-saver format

Before & After is made to fit your binder

Before & After articles are intended for permanent reference. All are titled and numbered.

For the current table of contents, click here. To save time and paper, a paper-saver format of this article,

suitable for one- or two-sided printing, is provided on the following pages.

Be

fore

&A

fter | w

ww

.bamagazine.com

1 of 4

Fra

me

sho

p lo

go

ma

ke

ove

r 07070707

Fra

me

sho

p lo

go

ma

ke

ove

r

®X

Frame

sho

p lo

go

mak

eo

ver

0707

Befo

re&A

fter B

Am

agazin

e.com

iUX

Logo makeover

Frame shopN

ewb

uryp

ort Framers, a

high

-end

custom

framin

g b

usin

ess, need

s a new

logo. T

he b

est way to d

esign it?

Grou

nd

it in reality. C

ontin

ued

�

FIR

ST O

F THR

EE

PAR

TS

Con

tinu

ed �

®X

Frame

sho

p lo

go

mak

eo

ver

0707

Befo

re&A

fter B

Am

agazin

e.com

iUX

�

2 of 8 | P

rintin

g formats �

Frame sh

op

logo

makeover

2 of 8

Frame sh

op logo

makeover

To create a new logo for a high-end, custom

-framing business,

we turn abstract attributes into real im

ages.

FIRS

T OF TH

RE

E PA

RTS

| Larry and

Sherry Pearl ow

n

New

bu

rypo

rt Framers, a h

igh-en

d cu

stom

fram

ing b

usin

ess in th

e idyllic seasid

e town

of

New

bu

rypo

rt, Massach

usetts. T

here, th

ey pro

-vid

e tailored

design

service to lo

cals wh

o are as

passio

nate ab

ou

t art and

framin

g as they are.

New

bu

rypo

rt Framers h

as the lu

xury o

f a d

escriptive n

ame: in

two

wo

rds, it tells yo

u

wh

ere the b

usin

ess is located

and

wh

at they

do. W

hat th

e nam

e do

es no

t con

vey, how

ever, is a tru

e sense o

f the N

ewb

uryp

ort Fram

ers’ exp

erience. C

usto

mers rave ab

ou

t the Pearls’

artistry, and

abo

ut th

eir ou

tstand

ing service.

Th

e new

logo

sho

uld

ho

no

r these ab

stract attrib

utes. T

he w

ay to d

o th

is, parad

oxically, is n

ot to

thin

k in th

e abstract b

ut to

grou

nd

the

design

in reality. H

ere’s how

.

To b

oo

st the

ir bu

sine

ss an

d

ex

pa

nd

the

ir rep

uta

tion

, Ne

w-

bu

rypo

rt Fra

me

rs ne

ed

s to b

len

d

the

ren

ow

n o

f a w

ell-e

stab

lishe

d

cha

in w

ith th

e p

erso

na

lized

ex

pe

-rie

nce

of a

loca

l bu

sine

ss. The

d

esig

n sh

ou

ld co

nve

y the

ir sup

e-

rior cra

ftsma

nsh

ip w

hile

also

an

cho

ring

the

ir wo

rk

with

in th

e e

nviro

nm

en

t it inh

ab

its. (Ab

ove

: Ne

wb

ury-

po

rt Ha

rbo

r, Larry a

nd

Sh

erry P

ea

rl)

Be

fore

&A

fter | w

ww

.bamagazine.com

2 of 4

Fra

me

sho

p lo

go

ma

ke

ove

r 07070707

Fra

me

sho

p lo

go

ma

ke

ove

r

®X

Frame

sho

p lo

go

mak

eo

ver

0707

Befo

re&A

fter B

Am

agazin

e.com

iUX

Frame sh

op

logo

makeover

3 of 8

�

3 of 8 �

An

alyze th

e situ

ation

First, assess th

e client’s “w

orld

” and

desires. Fro

m th

ere, establish

the go

als of

the d

esign, th

en create a p

alette of w

ord

s and

images fo

r insp

iration

.

The

clien

t’s wo

rld . . .

Type

of b

usin

ess: sm

all custom fram

ing store with

a handful of employees; do custom

framing, m

atting, and shadow

box construction

Au

die

nce

: Current and prospective custom

ers, em

ployees, local galleries, other businesses

Asse

ts: Resources to purchase typefaces, build a

web site, and have m

aterial printed, including signage

Limita

tion

s: No on-staff graphic designer to m

ain-tain and ensure overall adherence to the design plan

De

sign

go

als: C

onvey a sense of artistry, compe-

tence, craftsmanship, desirability, an artistic, high-end

vibe, and attract attention to the business

The

dire

ction

: New

buryport Framers has the

advantage of being local; it’s run by North Shore

residents for North Shore residents. W

e’ll highlight the business’s personalized, local service by im

buing it w

ith a sense of local identity.

®X

Frame

sho

p lo

go

mak

eo

ver

0707

Befo

re&A

fter B

Am

agazin

e.com

iUX

Frame sh

op

logo

makeover

4 of 8

�

4 of 8 �

Evalu

ate th

e e

xistin

g d

esig

nA

n existin

g design

will o

ften (b

ut n

ot alw

ays) yield clu

es abo

ut th

e client. In

this case,

the “b

efore” h

ighligh

ts the in

itials “NF,” w

hich

came fro

m Sh

erry’s love of typ

ograp

hy.

Log

o a

nd

colo

rs Initials NF are set in B

embo, a classic typeface that evokes both

art and literature. It’s a beautiful choice that’s then neutralized by two unfortunate

additions: 1) O

verlapped and shoehorned into a black box creates a sense of clutter and heaviness quite different from

the light, airy atmosphere of the typeface and

frame shop; note, above right, the m

any trapped, busy spaces that result from the

overlap, none of which exists naturally in the typeface. A

dding insult to injury, the N

had to be stretched horizontally to make the m

onogram w

ork.

Bu

sine

ss card

an

d lo

go

be

fore

New

buryportFram

ersC

ustom Fram

ingYou w

ill LO

VE !

sherry@new

buryportframers.com

larry@new

buryportframers.com

ww

w.n

ewburyp

ortfram

ers.com

3 Graf R

dU

nit #3

New

buryport, Ma

978-462-0773

Sherry P

earlLarry P

earl

Be

fore

&A

fter | w

ww

.bamagazine.com

3 of 4

Fra

me

sho

p lo

go

ma

ke

ove

r 07070707

Fra

me

sho

p lo

go

ma

ke

ove

r

®X

Frame

sho

p lo

go

mak

eo

ver

0707

Befo

re&A

fter B

Am

agazin

e.com

iUX

�

5 of 8 | P

rintin

g formats �

Frame sh

op

logo

makeover

5 of 8

but unaligned with each other —

making disconnected bits w

hen what’s

needed is a cohesive whole. It’s com

plex and unattractive.

Type

The designer also sought uniformity by setting the text in the sam

e B

embo typeface as the m

onogram. B

ut for the tagline (1), its form

al roman

style clashes with the casual exclam

ation, “Custom

Framing You W

ill Love!” Setting the busy m

ix of sizes, colors, type weights, and cases not only

requires unnecessary effort, it’s untrue to the old-style typeface. 2) Sim

ple italic, designed for m

ore-casual speech, makes the statem

ent more clearly

and is certainly easier to set!

2) A

ttention-getting red & black colors w

ere pulled from

the store’s outdoor sign (above, left) and carried through logo, w

eb site, and business card in an attempt

at uniformity. It w

as the right idea, but red & black is

a masculine, high-energy com

bination opposite the soft neutrals of the gallery and the quiet gentility of the business-card typeface. M

eanwhile, the designer

lost sight of the many unrelated typefaces that w

ere populating the design, and the different layout styles that w

ere developing. Result: N

ewburyport Fram

ers didn’t achieve a unifi ed look.

Bu

sine

ss card

(above, right) is laid out with no appar-

ent grid. Whether by design or accident, elem

ents are aligned on four axes —

one fl ush and three centered

Be

fore

: Co

lors fro

m o

utd

oo

r sign

. . . to w

eb

site . . . to

bu

sine

ss card

. . .

Custom

Framing You w

ill LO

VE !

Custom

framing you w

ill love!

12

New

buryportFram

ersC

ustom Fram

ingYou w

ill LO

VE !

sherry@new

buryportframers.com

larry@new

buryportframers.com

ww

w.n

ewburyp

ortfram

ers.com

3 Graf R

dU

nit #3

New

buryport, Ma

978-462-0773

Sherry P

earlLarry P

earl

®X

Frame

sho

p lo

go

mak

eo

ver

0707

Befo

re&A

fter B

Am

agazin

e.com

iUX

Frame sh

op

logo

makeover

6 of 8

�

6 of 8 �

Histo

ry Settled by English trades-m

en in the 1630s, New

bury-port grew

into a booming

maritim

e trade center. Life alw

ays revolved around the A

tlantic Ocean, and today

both a sense of history and a sense of place are at the core of the tow

n’s identity.

Sa

ilbo

at Seafaring is still im

portant in N

ewburyport today, but people are now

m

ore likely to raise the sails for plea-sure rather than business. A

sailboat’s silhouette (below

) is an unmistakable

blend of sharp, triangular shapes and subtle, graceful curves.

Sa

nd

, she

lls, be

ach

, fi sh, b

irds,

wa

ter, d

riftwo

od

In many w

ays, New

-buryport’s seaside location shaped its destiny, so w

e can’t overlook the most

basic things that distinguish this envi-ronm

ent: a beach strewn w

ith shells, each uniquely curved and w

orn from the

tide; infi nite grains of sand at once both sm

ooth and granular; and vibrant bird and m

arine life, fi nely patterned with

feathers and scales of all variations.

Fra

me

d a

rtwo

rk W

hether it’s a treasured family

painting or a simple m

emento, all fram

ed objects have one thing in com

mon: they’re personal. W

hat w

e frame is a statem

ent about what w

e value.

Estab

lish th

e d

esig

n g

oals an

d d

irectio

n

Th

e design

goals an

d d

irection

are a statemen

t o

f wh

at the lo

go is to

emb

od

y, and

how

it will

do

that. T

his is n

ot alw

ays clear at fi rst, bu

t in

this case w

e know

. First, of co

urse, it m

ust relate

to fram

ing an

d b

e “own

able,” m

eanin

g un

iqu

e to

New

bu

rypo

rt Framers. Tw

o, the Pearls w

ant

their lo

go to

con

vey a sense o

f locale, artistry,

craftsman

ship, d

esirability, an

d to

pro

ject a high

-en

d vib

e. Th

at’s a goo

d list.

Wh

ere to start th

e design

? By fam

iliarizing

ou

rselves with

the h

is-to

ry, ob

jects, colo

rs, an

d styles o

f New

bu

ry-p

ort —

and

framin

g:

Be

fore

&A

fter | w

ww

.bamagazine.com

4 of 4

Fra

me

sho

p lo

go

ma

ke

ove

r 07070707

Fra

me

sho

p lo

go

ma

ke

ove

r

®X

Frame

sho

p lo

go

mak

eo

ver

0707

Befo

re&A

fter B

Am

agazin

e.com

iUX

Frame sh

op

logo

makeover

7 of 8

�

7 of 8 �

Co

lors B

lack, gold, and woods like cherry and

walnut are classic fram

e choices, while the

clients recently repainted their shop interior (left) a sand color w

ith undertones of gray. They also expressed a preference for soft grays and other pale tones, like the color of bleached driftw

ood (below, left).

BL

AC

KS

MIT

H

Arch

itectu

re A

s the name sug-

gests, New

England bears many

resemblances to O

ld England, partic-ularly in term

s of architecture. New

-buryport’s stately brick buildings and cobblestone streets m

ake the down-

town area feel suspended in tim

e. In addition, the signs in the tow

n’s old port area are unique to each business, and recall ancient shop signs (anchors for blacksm

iths, bread for bakers, and so on). Their dynam

ic use of three-dimensional

fi gures and creative, non-rectangular shapes indicate that they not only tell custom

ers what the business

does; they speak volumes about the

character of the business itself.

Fra

me

s (mo

de

rn, vin

tag

e, co

rne

rs) Frames com

e in nearly every design, color, shape, and size. W

hether ornate or simplistic,

bright primary colors or dem

ure shades of brow

n, rectangular or oval, or big or sm

all, the frame

corner is any framing store’s

most distinctive silhouette.

Co

min

g in

Pa

rt 2W

ith creative brief and research in hand, next w

ill com

e the fun of working out

the design, from concept to

sketch to fi nal rendering.

Typo

gra

ph

y Because N

ewburyport is such a storied

town, w

e should look to the past for typographical inspira-tion. H

ere we’ve pulled exam

ples from w

ood carvings, his-torical signs, m

anuscripts, and lithographs. Each typeface has serifs, is easy to read, and has stood the test of tim

e.

®X

Frame

sho

p lo

go

mak

eo

ver

0707

Befo

re&A

fter B

Am

agazin

e.com

iUX

�

8 of 8 | P

rintin

g formats �

Frame sh

op

logo

makeover

8 of 8

Be

fore

& A

fter m

ag

azin

e

Befo

re & A

fter has b

een sh

aring its p

ractical app

roach

to grap

hic d

esign sin

ce 1990. Becau

se ou

r mo

dern

wo

rld h

as mad

e design

ers of u

s all (ready o

r no

t), Befo

re &

After is d

edicated

to m

aking grap

hic d

esign u

nd

erstand

-ab

le, usefu

l and

even fu

n fo

r everyon

e.

Joh

n M

cWa

de

Pu

blish

er and

creative directo

rG

ay

e M

cWa

de

Asso

ciate pu

blish

erD

ex

ter M

ark

Ab

elle

ra Sen

ior d

esigner

Kristin

e F

ua

ng

tha

rnth

ip W

riter, sum

mer in

tern

Be

fore

& A

fter m

ag

azin

e323 Lin

coln

Street, Ro

seville, CA

95678 Te

lep

ho

ne

916-784-3884 Fax 916-784-3995E

-mail m

ailbo

x@b

amagazin

e.com

w

ww

http

://ww

w.b

amagazin

e.com

Co

py

righ

t ©2014 B

efo

re &

Afte

r ma

ga

zine

ISS

N 1049-0035. A

ll righ

ts rese

rve

d

You

may p

ass alon

g a free cop

y of th

is article to o

thers

by clickin

g here. Yo

u m

ay no

t alter this article, an

d yo

u m

ay no

t charge fo

r it. You

may q

uo

te brief sectio

ns

for review

; please cred

it Befo

re & A

fter magazin

e, and

let us kn

ow

. To lin

k Befo

re & A

fter magazin

e to yo

ur

Web

site, use th

is UR

L: http

://ww

w.b

amagazin

e.com

. Fo

r all oth

er perm

ission

s, please co

ntact u

s.

Su

bscrib

e to

Be

fore

& A

fter

Sub

scribe to

Befo

re & A

fter, and

beco

me a

mo

re capab

le, con

fi den

t design

er for p

enn

ies

per article. To

learn m

ore, go

to

http

://ww

w.b

amagazin

e.com

/Sub

scribe

E-m

ail this article

To p

ass alon

g a free cop

y of th

is article to

oth

ers, click here.

Join

ou

r e-list

To b

e no

tifi ed b

y e-mail o

f new

articles as

they b

ecom

e available, go

to

http

://ww

w.b

amagazin

e.com

/email